Keyless lock



(NoMoael.)

J. S. KITTLE, G. L. BARNEY 85 J. L. CLOUGH.

KEYLESS LOCK.

510.591,045. Patented 005. 5,1897.

C2 ilu! um NITED STATES PATl-nwr @Fries-.

JOI-IN S. KITTIJE, GEORGE L. DARNEY, AND J Ol-IN L. CLOUGII, OF INDIAN- APOLIS, INDIANA.

KEYLESS` LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 591,045, dated OCODGI 5, 1897. Application filed March 27, 1897. p Serial No. 629,5 83. (No model.) i

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

' Be it known that we, IJOHN S. KITTLE, GEORGE L. BARNEY, and JOHNL. CnoUGH, citizens of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Keyless Locks, ofl

which the following is a specication.

This invention `relates to permutation or combination locks, and while it is applicable to locks of various kinds it is designed more especially for such as'are adapted to be applied to lock-boxes, drawers, desks, and similar" articles. i j

The object of the invention is to improve and simplify the construction of such locks as well as to make them more difficult of operation by unauthorized persons; and to these general ends the invention consists in the various features of lconstruction and arrangement of parts, operating for the pur` same. Fig. 3 is an edge view, the usual` flange on the plates being omitted. Fig. 4 is a detail View of the button and connections. l

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the latch-plate. Fig. 6 is a detaiL'and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail.`

The invention is adapted to many and va-, rious kinds of permutation or combination locks-as, for instance,where`there is one, two, or :more dials--but in the present instance it is shownand will be described in connection with a double-dial lock, to which it is especially adapted. It`will also be ob-I served that some of the features hereinafter described are capable of use separately from the others or in connection with other equivalent constructions, although they are shown embodied in a singleconstruction.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the face-plate of the lock, whichis preferably of metal and of any size or shape to meet the requirements of the particular case, and B is the back plate, which in the present in- 5o stance is shown as bearing upon the rear portion of the face-plate and as being se-cured thereto in the manner hereinafter described.

Heretofore in locks of this general character it has been customary to make nse of movable dials, which are attached to or connected with the button or thumb-piece and which are moved to set the tumbler or notched wheel or wheels in proper relation to permit the operation of the lock. In this construction, however, the dials are stationary and are preferably formed from or stamped out of the face-plate of the lock, and'these dials D D are shown as so formed and arranged on the front of the face-plate and asbeing provided with'letters" or other indicating marks, as is common.V

The back plate B is perforated to correspond-with the opening in the front plate and dials and to receive the stem or body portion C' of the button or thumb-piece C, and in order to form a better support or bearing for said stem or stems the back plate B is provided with a raised portion or portions B; which 'not only forms a better support or Abearing for the stem or stems, but also forms a raised washer against which the tumbler or notched wheel bears. It will thus be seen thatfrom the face and back plates there is formed a substantial bearing or support for the stem or stems, as well as the dial or dials, andwashers to 'support the tumblers.

' Rigidlymounted or connected with the stem C orwith the button or thumb-piece C is an indicator E, which revolves with the thumbpiece or button, and `while this indicator may be variously formed it is preferably made of a plurality of arms or pointers e e e2, three being shown in the present instance. These arms are designated in some arbitrary way,

as by numbers or shape or otherwise, preferably .differing from each other, and the combination of the lock is set so that any one of the arms Will be the proper indicator for the lock, and this, being known only to the initiated, add-s security to the lock-asfor instance, if the lock were operated in the presence of'unauthorized persons they would be confused and prevented from catching the proper combination, so as to be able to surreptitiously open the lock, as they would not IOO know which one of the indicator-arms was the one to be moved in accordance with the position of the tumblers. This feature of the invention may be carried out in many ways other than that shown and accomplish substantially the same result. Moreover, the combination of the lock can be changed to use any one of the arms in manipulating the lock.

Mounted on the stem or stems is a tumbler or notched wheel F. This wheel may be variously constructed, it being shown as pro- .vided with a serrated or toothed edge, having a recess f at one portion of its periphery. This tumbler or notched wheel may be secured to the stem so as to rotate therewith in any desired way, it being shown in the present instance as fitting a shoulder c' on the stem C', and there is a washer F2,-of substantially the diameter of the stem, resting on the outer surface of the tumbler, and a screw F', entering the spindle, by which the washer is connected thereto, and in order to prevent the washer slipping on the stem a recess c2 is formed therein, in which fits a pinfz, attached to the washer, and in this way it will be seen that the tumbler is held in frictional contact between the shoulder c' on the stem and the edge of the washer F2, and the washer is prevented from turning or moving with relation to the stem by the pin f2, and by the proper adjustment of the set-screw F the tumbler may be held with the proper frictional contact so as to turn with the stem when desired, but capable of being moved thereon when, for instance, it is desired to change the combination.

The lock may be used with a bolt, as is common in this general class of locks, or, as preferred, the lock, as shown in the present instance, is not provided with a bolt, but there is a latch G, which can be used to operate a bolt and which may be provided with an extension G for this purpose. This latch G (best shown in Fig. 5) is mounted on the back plate B and is provided with an arm or arms G2, having a dog or dogs g2, adapted to enter the notch or notches f in the notched wheel or wheels when the latter are in proper position. Connected to the latch and eX- tending through the front and back plate is a button H, moving in a slot in the plate, by means of which the latch can be manipulated from the front side of the lock when the tumblers or notched wheels are in proper relation thereto. Any other wellknown means of moving the latch may be substituted for this. The latch G maybe held in position in any suitable way, it being shown in the present instance as having a slot G3, through which passes a rivet I, which is secured to the back plate 'and which rivet has a shoulder i, fitting the slot G3, so that the latch can move vertically, being guided in the present instance by. said rivet and by the button H.

The latch is normally held in the raised position shown in Fig. 2 by some sort of a spring device-as, for instance, a spring J-the free end of which bears on the lower portion of the latch and is attached to the back plate by a stud J.

One of the principal features of this lock is its automatic action, by which the tumblers or notched wheels are automatically moved when thelatch is restored to its normal posit-ion, so that the necessity of turning the thumb-piece or button to throw the combination out of unlocking position is avoided, this operation being done automatically.

.This is a very important feature, as it often happens that the operator of the lock forgets, .to turn the tumbler or notched wheel and leaves it in position to allow the lock to be openedsurreptitiously. While various means may be provided whereby to accomplish this automatic action, a simple construction is shown in the drawings,consistin g of the spring or springs K, arranged so that when the latch is moved to open the lock they are put under tension and in a position to automatically engage and move the notched wheel, when the latch is released and assumes its normal position. In the present instance these springs Klare shown as being of bent metal, secured to the rivet I by means of a screw I', while their free ends 7c extend upward and are crossed and arranged to be operated by a post or stud G4 on the latch G. Each notched wheel is provided with a lip or projection f', arranged in certain relation with the notch f, and so that when the wheel is in position to permit the dog g2 to enter the notch f the post G4 will compress the springs K, putting them under tension, and cause their free ends to pass under the lip or project-ion f of the wheel, and when the latch moves to its normal position the resiliency of the spring or springs will cause the notched Wheel to be turned,so as to throw the notch f out of. position to be engaged by the dog g2, and consequently throwout the combination. This spring or springs may be arranged to throw one or all of the notched wheels out of position, and it will readily be seen that while the construction shown is simple and effective the details can be varied by those skilled in the art so that the same result is accomplished.

Such being the preferred construction of the lock, it is evident to those skilled in the art how the parts operate, and the advantages of the new features of construction will be apparent not only in View of the fact that they enable the lock to be cheaply and effectively constructed, so as to be light and strong, but that the danger of its being manipulated by unauthorized persons is greatly decreased. Making the dials a part of the face-plate and usinga multi -pointed indicator not only cheapens the construction of the lock but adds to its efficiency. Forming the dials and washers on the plates furnishes a substantial and accurate bearing for the stem or stems, while the automatic locking device overcomes one of the great objections to this class of locks.

IOO

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Omitting the bolt also simplifies the construction, while the extension G to the latch may be used to operate a bolt independent of the lock or may act as a bolt itself.

Vhat is claimed isl. In a permutation-lock, the combination with a face-plate having a dial or dials formed therein, of a back plate having raised washers also formed therein,.substantially as described.

2. In a permutation-lock, the combination with a face-plate having a raised dial or dials and a back plate having a raised washer or washers, of a stem passing through openings in the plates and carrying an indicator-arm, substantially as described.

3. In a permutation-lock, the combination with a stem having a thumbpiece and indicator and having a shoulder c and recess c2, of a notched wheel mounted on the stem and bearing against the shoulder, and a washer secured to the stem bya screw, the said washer having a pin entering the recess in the stem whereby the tumbler is held in frictional contact between the shoulder on the stem and the washer and the latter is held immovable scribed.

4. In a permutation-lock, the combination with the notched wheels and a latch engaging the notches, of means for holding the latch in its normal position, a spring for engaging the wheels put under tension when the latch is operated and released when the latch is released, and devices connected with the wheels whereby when the spring is released the wheels will be automatically moved, sub-V JOHN s; KrrTLE. GEORGE L. BARNEY. JOHN L. cLoUGI-I.

Witnesses:

HENRY C. J ORDAN, CHAs. G. GULLY. 

